Device for releasably securing plates or tools to platen presses



Aug. 14, 1945- H. BOBS-T El AL DEVICES FOR RELEASABLY SECURING PLATES OR TOOLS TO PLATEN PRESSES Original Filed Sept. 17, 1941 2, V-INVENTORS. HenrzBobsfk Patented Aug. 14, 1945 UNITED STATES DEVICE I we *RELEASABLY ISEiOURI N G PLATES OR TOOLS T PLATE-N PRESSES Henri Bobst and Josef Kiiry, Laus'anne, Switzerland, assignors to-J, Bobst & Fils, S. A., Prilly, Switzerland, a corporation of Switzerland Original application-September 17, 1941, Serial No. 411,145. vDivided and this application December 27, 1943, Serial No. 515,752, In'Swit: zerland Qctoberf9,j1 940 a 2 Claims. (Cl. 101- 390).

v being omitted from the dr w ng, Arrahgedpar This application forms a division or our cappifiition Serial No. 411,145, filed'September 17,, This application forms a division of Patent No. 2,353,215. I This invention relates to devicesfor' releasably securing stereotype printing plates to the platen of a printing press or tools to the platen of a cutting press. I

To locate and hold the plates in properly'reg istered position on the platen, it has been customary to employ a frame for holding the plate,

. said frame being secured to the platen by means of wedges and screws. Due, however, to' the time" occupied in applying andremoving these wedges and screws, particularly as this may'have to be done quite frequently, such an arrangementhas obvious inconveniences.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a device by which securing or releasing of the plates or tools to the platen may be effected in considerably less time than with previous arrangements.

The device in accordance with the invention comprises a frame for. holding the plates or tools and means for clamping said frame at opposite edges thereof to the platen, the clamping means at one edge including means operable to press the frame against the platen and means operable correctly to register and hold the frame against lateral movement parallel to said edge, and the clamping means at the opposite edge being operable to press the frame towards the other clamping means, and. actuating means at each edge of the frame common to all of the clamp ing means at that edge.

In order that the invention may be clearly understood and readily carried into effect, the same will hereinafter be more fully described with reference to the accompanying drawing, in

a which:

Fig. 1 is a vertical section of a press platen illustrating a preferred embodiment of frame and securing means therefore according to the invention;

Fig. 2 is a horizontal section on line IIII of Fig. 1; and

Figs. 3, 4 and 5 are detail sectional views on an enlarged scale of parts of the frame securing means of Figs. 1 and 2.

Referring now to the drawing, I.designates a rectangular frame for holding cutting tools against the plane supporting face 2 of a platen 3, the plate and its arrangement within the frame forming no part of the invention and therefore allel to oppositeends of the platen are two shafts 4, 4a which are parallelfto the adjacent edges of the frame and are journ'alled insuitabl'e bearings (not shown) in the press frameasbymeaiis of eccentric discs or collars 5, Sa rigid with,said

shafts, the angular position of the shafts being controlled by handlesli, sa Pivotally. mounted on each shaft is a'plurality of links], film-the free end of each- ;link being angularlyfibent' and apertured to slide over a rod; about which, is coiled a preferablypowerful spring ;I2 which at one. end abuts against the bent end of the linls and is held at the other end Joya nut threaded on the rod. By rocking the shafts .4, 4a.:phrough the intermediary of: the handlesdta, the links. 1, ldmay be raised, .as shown in- Fig..-g1,,..the springs I2 thus tending to raise the rods associatedwith saidlinks. H

As will .be seen from Fig. 2, two link -and-rod clamping devices or assemblies and an intermediate registering device are provided at the lefthand end of the platen and two such devices or assemblies at the right-hand end. The rods 8 and 9 of the two outermost of said devices at the left-hand end are formed at their outer ends with hooks I0 (see also Fig. 4) which in the operative position are arranged to engage beneath a lip or flange II provided on the corresponding end of the frame I, and upon actuation of the handle 6 to raise the shaft 4 the springs I2 associated with the rods 8, 9 will cause the hooks III of said rods to press the frame tightly against the face 2 of the platen. The rod I3 of the intermediate registering device is also formed at its outer end with a hook I I (see also Fig. 3) the purpose of which is to engage Within a recess I5 formed in the lip or flange I I, thereby in its operative position serving correctly to locate the frame laterally with respect to the platen and to hold it against lateral movement. The hook I4 and the notch I5 may be of trapezoidal shape, each being narrower at its upper end than at its lower end, in order to facilitate proper lateral positioning of the plate relatively tothe platen.

Each of the rods I9 of the two clamping devices or assemblies at the right-hand end of the platen is formed with a wedge-shaped enlargement 20 (see also Fig. 5) the inclined face of which is arranged to co-operate with a corre spondingly inclined face at the right-hand end of the frame. Upon actuation of the shaft 4a to raise the links la, the springs I2 cause the wedge-shaped ends 20 of the rods I9 to engage the inclined face of the frame, thereby pressing the press firmly into engagement with the face 2 of the platen and also longitudinally in the direction of the arrow is (Fig. 2) As will be seen from Fig. 1 the rods 8,; 9, l3 and l9'are guided in apertures in the platen so that they are held against movement other than in an axial direction. Thus the wedging action of the co-operating inclined faces of the rods =l'9 and the frame causes the latter to be moved towards the left into abutting engagement with the lower ing devices employed is not necessarily limited to that previously described.

ends of the rods 8, 9 and I3 or'with,v for exam-f ple, a machined, depending face' at .the left--;

hand end of the platen. I

From the foregoing it will be understood that in the operative position of the clamping devices or assemblies, the frame will be pressed at opposite ends firmly against the supporting surface 2 of the platen and will also be secured against movement either laterally or longitudinally of the platen. To remove the frame, the shafts 4, 4a are rocked to lower the links and relax the pressure of the springs 12 on the rods, the latter allowing one end of the frame to drop on to, for example, a ledge (not shown) rigid'with the platen and extending laterally thereof between the lower ends of the rods 8, l3 and 9, and the other end of the frame to drop on to a ledge or projection H extending inwardly beneath the right-hand end of the frame. The frame can then be slidlaterally from beneath the platen in the direction of the arrow I8, or in a direction opposite thereto. Tojattach the frame to the platen, the foregoing sequence of operations is reversed, the frame being slid laterally into position beneath the platen andthe shafts 4, 4a then being rocked to raisethe links, thereby engaging the lower ends against the frame as hereinbefore described.

Any other appropriate means for imparting 'Whatweclaimis: 10

1. A device fOr releasably securing printing platesor, tools to the platen of printing respectively cutting presses comprising a frame for hold ing the plate and means for clamping said frame at opposite edges thereof to the'platen, the clamping means "at one edge including a rod connected by a spring to an actuating link, the said rod .havinga hook at one end engageable in the operative position with a lip extending from the frame I in order to press the said frame against the platen and a rod connected by a spring to an actuating link and having a hook at one end engageable in the operative position within a recess in the edge of the frame in order to register and hold the frame against lateral movement parallel to said edge, and the clamping, means at the opposite edge being operableto press the frame towards the other clamping means, and actuating means at each edge of the frame common to all 1 of the clamping means at that edge.

2. A device for releasably securing printing plates or tools to the platen of printing respectively cutting presses according-to claim 1 wherein the links are connected to a pair of shafts parallel to the opposite edges of the frame, said 

